The Ghost of Sasuke
by Shika-Kiba
Summary: Sasuke's body was taken over by Orochimaru. For some reason, Sasuke is still on Earth, even though he should have died. His friends try to help bring him to life. will it work? R&R Please! Rated T for slight cursing and violence. Adopted by Echo Uchiha
1. Prologue

-Prologue-

Sasuke stood in a huge circle of Release markings. His head was telling him to run away. Run away now, while you still have a chance.

'No, I have to do this,' he thought. It was the only way he could beat Itachi, his older brother. It was necessary.

Orochimaru was standing in front of him, staring into Sasuke's soul. Orochimaru chuckled, smirked, and then bit his thumb.

"Release!" he said.

Sasuke knew he would be under a genjutsu. He was surrounded by pulsing… things. He wasn't really sure what they were. Orochimaru was still in front of him, except now he was a frightening snake. The snake was attached to the pulsing objects.

"Are you ready, Sasuke?" he mused.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Let's get this started then."

The pulsing, grotesque objects crept their way up Sasuke's body. It was time for the Reincarnation Jutsu to begin.

Orochimaru, the snake, pushed himself down Sasuke's throat. It didn't really hurt; it was just an uncomfortable sensation.

Sasuke didn't notice anyway. He was too busy thinking about the past twenty-four hours. His encounter with Naruto and the other Konoha ninja worried him. He didn't really want to hurt them. He just needed more and more power. Sasuke remembered the fight with Naruto only a day ago… it seemed like longer.

He remembered Naruto's hurt expression while he was standing on that rock in Final Valley. He kept blabbering on about "saving Sasuke" and "bringing him home." It was all useless, childish talk. The real world didn't work like that, Sasuke had learned.

It was a long shot for Naruto to try and stop the Sound Four. They were pretty powerful, even in Sasuke's eyes. Yet somehow, Naruto, Choji, Neji, Shikamaru, Lee, and Kiba had managed to kill them with the help of the Sand Siblings.

Sasuke was shocked and impressed. A slight pain brought him back to reality, though.

Sasuke opened his eyes and saw the snake was almost completely inside him. He shuddered, just realizing the fact that a SNAKE was crawling down his throat.

Oh, well. This was the price for power, he assumed.

The moment the snake was completely in Sasuke's mouth, he felt a surge push him outward. He tumbled forward, but stood up quickly. He looked back and saw… his own body. It was standing still, but Sasuke had no control over it.

All of the sudden, the genjutsu released and Sasuke's body was standing still. His hands were flexing, but it wasn't Sasuke that was controlling it.

Sasuke looked down and he was almost see-through. He compared the see-through being that was him, and then the body he wasn't controlling. They looked identical.

"Thank you, Sasuke. It will be a pleasure working with your body," Orochimaru's voice said. It came from Sasuke's body.

The real Sasuke gasped. If Orochimaru had taken over Sasuke's body already, then why was Sasuke still here?

Then Sasuke made the realization: he was a ghost.

Orochimaru had taken over his body on Earth.

"I think I made a big mistake…" Sasuke thought.

**AN: Review please and I'll write more :)**

**Also, check out my favorite Author, Sora97. He's a really funny writer!**


	2. Day One

**AN: The time will go through by days. The numbers will start on the day Sasuke arrived at the Leaf Village.**

* * *

><p><em>Day One<em>

After Orochimaru took control of Sasuke's body, the real Sasuke didn't know what to do or where to go. He decided he would ask Kakashi-sensei for advice, so he headed back to Konoha. He didn't attract any attention, which he thought was odd because he was raising Hell in the noise department.

When he finally arrived back at his home village, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Seeing the guards on either side of the gate, he tried talking to one.

"Yo. I'm back," Sasuke said.

Neither of the guards reacted.

"Helloooo?"

He waved his hand in front of a guard's face. The guard didn't even blink.

'Strange…' Sasuke thought.

Sasuke decided to go try and find his Sensei's home.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of searching, Sasuke finally found and walked into Kakashi's house. He heard noises coming from the bedroom, so he decided to try in there. He walked into the bedroom. Kakashi was there, sitting on his bed watching T.V.<p>

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi's face twitched and his eyes widened. Sasuke wondered if he could hear him.

"Kakashi?" Sasuke repeated. "It's me, Sasuke."

"Sasuke? Thank Kami you're back! Where are you?"

Good. The Copy Ninja could hear him, but obviously not see.

"I'm standing right in front of you. See, the thing is…"

Sasuke then explained to Kakashi how Orochimaru took over his body.

"The only reason I can hear you is because I have one piece of the Resurrection Seal. I received it from Sarutobi many years ago. There are four parts to the Seal: Hearing, Vision, Touch, and Soul. I was told that if all four parts of the Seal come together, you can bring someone back to life," Kakashi explained.

"Look, Kakashi, I really didn't want to leave. The Sound Four tricked me and then carried me away," Sasuke explained truthfully.

"I thought so."

"So, where are the other parts of the scroll?" Sasuke asked.

"The only one I know of is owned by an ANBU named Karuyaka."

"If he's part of the ANBU, if should be easy to get, right?" Sasuke inferred.

"Wrong. SHE," Kakashi emphasized. "went rogue three years ago."

"Greaaaat… It's a lady ANBU, even better..."

"We better start looking for him if you want to live again."

"I'll gather a team," Sasuke suggested.

"Normally, I'd be all for it but no one can see you except me," Kakashi reminded the raven.

"...Hmph..." Sasuke said.

Kakashi sighed. 'Still as big-headed as ever.'


	3. Day Two

_Day Two_

After a good night's rest, Sasuke and a group Kakashi had ordered together began to search for clues as to Karuyaka's location. The team, codenamed Team Ukiyo, was made up of Sasuke, Kakashi, Lee, Neji, Gaara, Tenten, Hinata, and this new guy named Akkei. Since no one could see Sasuke, he was required to make a sound every few seconds so Kakashi could track him. Kakashi said that Tsunade had recommended Akkei to the group.

"So, Akkei, is it? May I see your Ninja Info card?" Kakashi asked politely.

"Sure," Akkei answered. He took out his card and handed it to the Kakashi.

"Hm… Mhm… I see… So you're from the Village Hidden in the Mist…" Kakashi said while looking it over. He flipped it to the back and noticed that the Skill circle was pointed especially towards Genjutsu and Speed.

"It seems you will make a nice ally," Neji said, reading over Kakashi's shoulder.

"I would love to spar with you sometime, if that is okay!" Lee said enthusiastically.

"That sounds like fun," Akkei answered.

"It would be cool to watch, but we need to head out now. Let's go," Kakashi said.

"Where are we even going?" Tenten asked.

"We've gathered enough intel that shows Karuyaka will be theiving the ANBU hideout tomorrow," Neji answered.

"I see. Then what are we waiting for?" Lee asked with his usual pep.

They all ran out of the village and headed for the ANBU hideout.

* * *

><p>The team was jumping along the trees in a thick area. A clearing could be seen ahead, but Team Ukiyo was still in the trees.<p>

Just then, Kakashi suddenly skidded to a stop and held up his hand. Lee asked, "What is it, Kakashi?"

"Sh!" he said. They all stopped running and quited down.

Just then, two ANBU guards (one with a tiger mask and one with a dragon mask) walked into view. Team Ukiyo was still hidden by the trees.

"…yeah, I know Karuyaka thieved us. He stole one of our Forbidden Jutsu!" said the Dragon faced one. He was facing the Tiger mask and they were talking in hushed tones.

"Yes. That is no excuse for you to have let him get off the hook so easily. Why was pursuit not immediately instilled?" the Tiger asked.

"When I returned to the base, my entire team was dead."

"I see. So, essentially, you have - or had in this case - a bunch of weaklings on your team?" Asked the Tiger.

"Argh! Don't you dare insult my fellow teammates!"

"What are they gonna do, haunt me until I die?" Ironically enough, a gust of wind blew through the clearing.

"We should head back," insisted the Tiger. "Someone has been eavesdropping."

He threw a kunai with a paper bomb into the tree that Lee and Neji were standing on about 5 seconds ago.

"Where did- AGH!" the Dragon began. He was soon cut off by Akkei stabbing him in the foot with a kunai. The Dragon flipped backwards, weaving seals. "Fuuton: Wind sword!"

Akkei was slashed across his midsection by a gust of wind, but all that the Dragon man hit was a shadow clone.

"Dammit! Where did-"

"Kumo: Cloud Nine!" Akkei yelled.

_The dragon man stood still. A thunder cloud appeared in the sky._

"…_Was that it?" the Dragon man said. "Was that really your attack?"_

_Akkei looked frightened._

"_Let's end this. Fuuton: Wind Tunnel!"_

_An enourmous horizontal wind tunnel sliced through Akkei. (Similiar to Temari's Cyclone Scythe Jutsu)._

"_Hahaha! I beat you easily! Now where did everyone else go…" the Dragon man wondered._

**[Text in italics is a genjutsu.]**

Akkei slashed the Dragon man's neck easily. The Dragon man never knew he was under a genjutsu.

"Heh. That was easy," Akkei said.

The Tiger man rushed towards Akkei, who was faced the other way.

"Akkei, watch out!" Lee yelled.

"Lightning style..." the Tiger began to say.

[On the other side of the clearing...]

"Hinata!" Neji said.

"Right! 8 Trigrams..." Hinata began.

"64 Palms Tag-Team Jutsu!" Neji finished.

Neji and Hinata appeared on either side of the Tiger.

"What's this...?" the Tiger questioned.

"2 Palms!" Neji yelled, stabbing the Tiger, then pushing him towards Hinata.

"4 Palms!" Hinata yelled back, poking him as well. She pushed him towards Neji again.

"8 Palms!"

"16 Palms!"

"32 Palms!"

"64 PALMS!" They both yelled in unison. Then, the Hyuga cousins stabbed the Tiger man 64 times each.

"That ought to do it." Neji said. The Tiger man was lying unconscious at their feet. It disappeared in a puff of smoke, however.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Tenten asked.

"Behind you..." she heard the Tiger say tauntingly.

The Tiger appeared behind Tenten with a kunai at her throat.

"Leaf Hurricane!"

The Green Wonder (Lee) kicked the Tiger twice in the gut.

"Whew... Thanks Lee," Tenten said, clapping Lee on the back.

"I was just protecting my teammates! No thank-you is needed!" Lee said with great chivalry.

Meanwhile, Neji was discussing his previous tag-team move with Hinata.

"Hinata, how could that have been a clone? Did you see the Chakra network?" Neji asked.

"I'm sure I did, Neji-kun, b-but..."

The Tiger, who was now lyinhg on his back coughing up blood, spoke up. "It was a Lightning clone... *COUGH COUGH HACK PTOOIE GASP* it was the Chakra network you saw, it was millions of lightning molecules moving so fast it looked like Chakra."

"That was very in-depth... Do you care to explain why you're telling us the basis of your move?" Akkei asked.

"If- Wait, you guys are Konoha (Leaf) Ninja?" The Tiger asked.

"Yes..." Kakashi answered.

"Why did you attack?" The Tiger asked.

"You attacked us first and gave us no time to explain!" Kakashi countered.

"True... In my defense it's dark out here so I couldn't really see your headbands..." The Tiger mumbled.

"I thought you ANBU were supposed to be smart..." Akkei grumbled to himself. "I wouldn't have had to kill your teammate."

"Don't worry, I didn't like him anyway."

"That's a terrible thought!" Hinata said.

"I don't care what you think, you prick."

"Ooh, you shouldn't have said that..." Neji warned.

**[To Tiger's dismay, Hinata was currently moody and was on her period.]**

[5 minutes later]

"AGHHHHH!"

"Hinata... I know he made you angry but you didn't have to kill him..." Kakashi said.

Hinata slowly turned her head towards Kakashi. She had fire in her eyes (Kind of like Guy and Lee, but angrier).

Hinata just stared.

"...Nevermind..." Kakashi said.

"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT, BITCH," Hinata said.

"Um... Hinata..." Tenten began.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOU SLUT MUFFIN- I-I mean... Who wants cookies?" Hinata said, holding up a tray full of chocolate chip cookies.

"I'll take one..." Lee said, reaching for a cookie. Hinata just laughed nervously.

[After everyone had had a cookie except for Kakashi...]

"Akkei, what was that cloud thing you put over the Dragon man's head?" Kakashi asked, still not making eye contact with Hinata.

"It was my own genjutsu. I invented it. It gives the victim the feeling of pure happiness, whatever it may be," Akkei answered.

"Oh, cool. Does it always end in death?" Tenten asked, eyeing the Dragon.

"The genjutsu itself doesn't ensure death, it just allows an opening," Akkei answered.

"I see... Let's move these bodies," Kakashi suggested. They hauled them into a tree, hiding them with the leaves.

"We should head to the base," said Kakashi.

They all nodded and started running.

**AN: That was really fun to write. I won't give away too much about Akkei's Jutsu yet. Sorry! D: I own nothing except the plot idea (adapted from Sora97) and the character Akkei. Tata for now! :)**

**If you would like a visual description of Akkei, keep reading.**

**He's average height, black eyes similar to Sasuke's but smaller. He wears a purple long-sleeved shirt with a Chunin vest over it. He has standard black pants with a kunai pocket on his right side. He also has extra pockets added to the sides for his scrolls. His hair is similar to Kisame's, but it isn't as strait or as long. It is a dark brown. He wears a Leaf headband on his head, but secretly wears a Mist one around his waist, where no one can see it. Standard shoes, also.**


	4. Day Two and Three

_Day Two Continued_

On the way to the ANBU hideout, Sasuke and Kakashi were chatting. Sasuke was catching up on everything that had happened.

"Wait, what? Kakashi, how could something huge happen? I was only gone for a day or two," Sasuke said.

Kakashi looked puzzled. "…Sasuke, you were gone for over three years."

"What? How is that possible? I remember Orochimaru taking me over, me leaving my body… and then a huge gap of stuff I don't remember," Sasuke admited.

"It's a possibility you went into a Death Hibernation. Sarutobi mentioned it to me before. When someone dies and they stay on Earth, they sleep for 3 years before waking up. He said no one ever remembers sleeping," Kakashi explained.

Sasuke was dumbfounded. How could he have slept for 3 years without even realizing it?

"And," Kakashi continued. "It supposedly accustoms your brain to death on Earth."

Sasuke sighed. He then remembered that blond haired knuckle-headed friend he once had. "Kakashi, what happened to Naruto?"

"After he heard Orochimaru had stolen your body, he… he turned to the Akatsuki," Kakashi said. "He said life wasn't worth living without you alive."

Sasuke's eyes went wide (not that anybody could see him). "Does he really care about me that much?"

"Apparently so. He went through Extraction, but he somehow survived it," Kakashi said.

"Extraction...?" Sasuke questioned.

"Its the process of the removal of the Tailed Beast from the Jinchuriki. Most don't survive."

"Is he still able to fight?" Sasuke asked.

"Correct. What's worse is that he developed an extremely powerful and deadly Jutsu. We don't know whether to call him an ally or an enemy yet. He hasn't made contact with Konoha in almost three years," Kakashi said. "Thought others have invented Jutsu as well, not just Naruto," he added.

"Who and what?" Sasuke asked. He was almost afraid to know.

"Sakura, now a medical ninja, not only made a new Jutsu, but she infused it into her own DNA. It's now an official kekke genkai, although I can't think of **any**one that would want to have children with her…" Kakashi mumbled the last part. "It's the Space style."

"You mean… like Fire style, but with Space instead?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. She can manipulate time and dimensions," Kakashi answered.

"That sounds dangerous. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She was in one of the parallel universes, the last time I checked. She'll be there for a while, since such a Jutsu sucks out her chakra," Kakashi explained.

"Are you afraid she'll get hurt?"

"Not at all. We've all matured a bit since you last saw us. She can hold her own now," Kakashi said. "Oh! I almost forgot. I was working on a Jutsu that let's us all hear you. It should be quite convenient," Kakashi added.

He took out a scroll and unraveled it, biting his thumb in the process.

"HYA!" He yelled.

A ring of energy seemed to form around the group, but then dissipated.

"…Did it work?" Sasuke asked.

"Indeed!" Lee said.

"Yeah…" Gaara added.

"AWW HELL YEAH!" Tenten said enthusiastically.

"This should make our lives a bit easier…" Akkei said.

"I agree. Let's go!" Neji chimed in.

They all ran forward with spirits full of energy.

* * *

><p>Later, Team Ukiyo was ready to take a rest. They all spread out their sleeping bags and lay down.<p>

"I'll take first watch," Gaara said.

"Okay. Wake me when you want a rest," Lee responded.

"I'll go after Lee," Tenten said.

With the watch schedule in place, they tried to finally relax.

Team Ukiyo was fast asleep in minutes, with the exception of Gaara.

* * *

><p><em>Day Three<em>

Sasuke woke up bright and early. Everyone was still asleep except Tenten, Akkei, and Kakashi. The Copy Ninja was packing while the other two were chatting in a tree. Sasuke made his way up there.

"Good morning guys. Whatcha talking about?" Sasuke asked.

Tenten jumped, obviously startled. Akkei kept his cool and collected facial expression.

'Damn, this guy is better than me.' Sasuke thought.

"We were just talking about our Jutsu. Akkei here can use a special type of technique! It's his kekke genkai, the Cloud Style. It's a mix between wind and lightning," Tenten explained.

"I learned Tenten developed a new Ninja Tool as well," Akkei said. "She can add elements to her weapons."

"Cool. I feel so underdeveloped since I don't have any new skills…" Sasuke said sadly.

Akkei stood up suddenly. "Sasuke, is it even possible for you to use Jutsu in your current state?"

"Um… I don't know, I haven't had a chance to try," Sasuke said.

"Let's try now! See if you can make this cloud evaporate with your fire style," Akkei said. "Kuro!'

A small cloud formed in front of the shinobi. Sasuke weaved signs and said, "Fire style: Fire ball Jutsu!" It was aimed right at the cloud.

Nothing happened.

"Shoot," Tenten said.

"I agree," Sasuke ranted.

"Oh, well. Let's wake everyone else up. We need to leave soon," Akkei said.

They nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"We have arrived!" Lee whispered excitedly.<p>

"Alright, everybody, we need to make a plan," Akkei began. Lee was already running towards the base. Gaara grabbed him with his sand and brought him back.

"Do you want us to get caught?" Gaara yelled quietly.

"Everybody calm down. We'll just sneak in the top rafter, find Karuyaka, get what we need, and head out. Neji and Hinata, keep your Byakugan activated and warn us at any sign of attack," Kakashi said.

"Hai!" They both said.

"Sasuke, watch our back. Since the enemy can't hear you, scream if something is coming or you see someone. It will give us a warning," Kakashi continued.

"Okay," Sasuke said.

"Furthermore," Kakashi continued, "we can't run the risk of getting caught. Be as stealthy as possible."

"Aren't these fellow Leaf Ninja?" Tenten asked, questioning the point of being sneaky.

"If they find us in here, we will all be thrown out," Kakashi answered.

"Oh..."

Team Ukiyo jumped onto the roof of the ANBU hideout building.

"So," said Akkei, "Who wants to go first?"


	5. Karuyaka

_Day Three Continued_

After Team Ukiyo jumped into the ANBU hideout, Kakashi explained that Karuyaka would most likely be in the center of the hideout. Akkei had a Jutsu just in case that would make the group nearly invisible. Without speaking, they all ran stealthily through the hideout, avoiding any passages with traps or ANBU soldiers.

"We're almost to the center of the hideout. Let's keep moving," Akkei said.

"Okay!" The Team whispered.

* * *

><p>Sasuke yelled for everyone to stop. They did so.<p>

"I hear someone… get on the ceiling!" Sasuke commanded. Team Ukiyo applied Chakra to their feet and were on the ceiling. Thankfully, it was shadowed so no one could see them from below.

Below them, three ANBU soldiers were talking to each other. One had a hawk mask, one had a cat mask, and one had a dog mask.

"Yes, Karuyaka has infiltrated our base. We need to stay calm and block off the exits," the Hawk said. It was a male voice.

"Right. I will get on that, sir," the dog said. It was also a male voice.

He ran off in the direction Team Ukiyo had come from.

"It's scary to think that Karuyaka could be any one of us," the Hawk said. The Cat said nothing.

"Aren't you-"

The hawk man was quickly cut off by a kunai to the throat. Said kunai, wielded by the Cat, was then thrown upwards, towards Team Ukiyo.

"I know you're there. Come out," the Cat said. It was a woman's voice.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

Lee flew into the woman's face, knocking her off balance. Her mask broke off as well.

"You!" Kakashi yelled. "You're Karuyaka!"

"Yes, that would be me," she replied with a sarcastic sneer.

"What scroll did you steal?" Gaara questioned.

"That is my knowledge. You have no right to know," she answered.

"We have every right, considering we're going to be your last enemies," Tenten spoke up.

"This is no time for talking! This is a time for fighting!" Karuyaka yelled. "And just to be sure no one interrupts this fight…" she added.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" Karuyaka yelled.

The air pressure instantly changed.

"You sealed off this section of the hallway," Neji concurred.

"Yup. So you guys aren't going anywhere, anytime soon."

"That is where you're wrong," Tenten said. Suddenly, six strings wrapped around Karuyaka. Her arms were strapped to her sides and was tied up.

Tenten held a sickle to her throat. "Look, we know you have part of the Resurrection Seal. Give it up quick and we may let you leave untouched,"

'When the hell did she get so tough…?' Sasuke thought.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Karuyaka said.

"Fine, if that's the game you want to play. Gaara, search her," Tenten snapped.

"Yes," he nodded. As soon as he touched Karuyaka, she exploded, knocking Tenten back. She was unconscious.

The explosion knocked a sand clone to the ground.

"I knew you would be a formidable opponent," Gaara said. "So don't think I'll be that stupid."

"Earth style: Boulder shot!" Karuyaka said after forming hand signs.

Boulders rose out of the ground and began to fly towards the Konoha ninja, who were having a hard time dodging them. Lee tried to smash one with his hand, but they were too big and far too heavy. His knuckles started to bleed.

"Let's finish this!" Kakashi yelled. "Lightning Blade!"

He tried to stab the fiend in her gut, but she sidestepped and countered with a sucker punch. Gaara tried to trap her with sand, but she jumped again and again, dodging it.

Lee went into a flurry of kicks and punches, but only landed a few.

"First Gate: Gate of Opening: Open!"

He suddenly sped up, and his blows were stronger. Karuyaka was getting hit more, having a hard time dodging all the attacks.

"Run Lee!" Gaara yelled. Lee immediately retreated.

"Sand tsunami!"

Karuyaka was instantly trapped under a ton of sand.

"We'll ask one more time," Hinata said. "Where is your Resurrection Seal?"

No answer was heard.

"Fine. Gaara, if you will…"

"I'm already on it," he answered. The sand began to increase it's density by the second, crushing the trapped ex-ANBU.

"Okay! Okay! I'll talk! Please just stop!" they heard Karuyaka yell.

"What a weakling," Akkei said.

The sand disappeared and Karuyaka was sitting up.

"So where is the Resurrection Seal?" Kakashi asked.

"Foolish people. Did you really think I would just hand you-" Karuyaka stopped.

"I was getting tired of her annoying games," Neji said. His hand was jabbing the back of her neck. "Luckily she isn't dead. Her arms and legs are paralyzed."

"Tell us or we'll search you ourselves," Kakashi said.

"If I'm going to die, I'm going to die happy. It's in my kunai pocket," Karuyaka answered.

Lee quickly grabbed it and backed up to stand with the rest of the group.

"Wait, what do you mean 'die happy?'" Kakashi asked.

"I always had a crush on you, Kakashi-kun…" Karuyaka blushed. "I want you to be happy. When you are, I am, too," she said.

Lee yelped. "Guys! This part of the Seal is Sight!" Lee said excitedly.

Kakashi was too busy to notice what he said. "Is this the truth, Karuyaka?"

"Yes… So many people are after me. Please kill me. But before I go… I must tell you the next Seal holder. It is Orochimaru," Karuyaka said.

Kakashi was shocked, but finally said, "…Okay. I will remember. Akkei, would you mind using Cloud Nine on her so she dies happy?"

"Sure thing, Kakashi," he answered. "You won't feel a thing."

He focused, then looked into her eyes

_Karuyaka then saw everyone disappear except for Kakashi. They were alone in the room._

_Kakashi approached her with a smile on his face. She could barely tell. He held out his arms and Karuyaka ran to him. He embraced her. She was crying, but they were tears of happiness._

_Then, her world slowly faded to black._


	6. Day Six

**AN: I'm back! And I'm not dead! Hoorah! Okay, minor time skip here. Enjoy!**

_Day 6_

After a slow trip back to the Leaf village, the team wanted to rest up before they go after Orochimaru. Kakashi cast a Jutsu on the second part of the Resurrection Seal so the entire team could not only hear Sasuke, they could see him too. This simplified their lives a lot, since Sasuke no longer had to make a noise every ten seconds.

Team Ukiyo agreed to meet at the north gate in three days so they could stock up on supplies before they left. The original team of Gaara, Neji, Hinata, Akkei, Sasuke, Kakashi, Lee, and Tenten were split up. Neji had pneumonia, and Gaara had a personal matter to attend to in his home village. Kiba and Ino joined the team in place of them to balance it out.

For now, however, they just needed to rest and replenish their chakra. Sasuke stayed at Kakashi's house and caught up with everything that had happened in his hiatus. Sasuke found out a lot about the people he once knew and loved.

"So, Kakashi," Sasuke began. "Sakura and Naruto are gone?"

"Not Sakura, no," Kakashi said. "She went to a different dimension. She should be back soon-"

In an odd flash, the space before the two men bent and twisted into the form of a girl. A very, very tall girl that looked very familiar appeared in front of them.

"Hello, Kakashi," said Sakura.

"Hey, Sakura. Let me use this Jutsu so you can see… a certain person," Kakashi said. He formed a few hand signs and a translucent circle appeared around Sakura but then dissipated. She blinked.

"…S- Sasuke…?" she stuttered.

"Yes, it's me," Sasuke answered. He noticed she had a beard down to her stomach.

"…Have you shaved recently?" Kakashi asked.

"No, I left my razor at home," Sakura answered.

"Sakura, you were only gone for a few days."

"I know. I grow hair fast."

"…oooookayyyy…" Sasuke and Kakashi said simultaneously.

"Sasuke, why did you come back?"

"Orochimaru took over my bod- SHIT." Sasuke made a quick realization. "Kakashi! When you fight Orochimaru, you will be fighting me! He has all my Jutsu! He has the Sharingan! Crap, what have I done…?"

"Sasuke, calm down. I thought you had realized this… It's okay. None of us held a grudge," Kakashi explained. "I thought you would've thought of this sooner."

"Wait, what is going on?" Sakura asked.

"Sasuke's body was taken over by Orochimaru, but Sasuke didn't die. He's actually a ghost. The Jutsu I put on you was so that you could see and hear him. He just came to the village about 6 days ago, right after you left," Kakashi informed her.

"Oh. We pink-haired people aren't the best thinkers. We stick to what we know, like space travel," Sakura answered. "Still no sign of Naruto?" she added.

"Correct. We're anticipating an attack from him soon," Kakashi said.

"Doesn't every member of the Akatsuki have a partner? Who is Naruto partnered with?" Sasuke asked.

"Supposedly, he is partnered with Tobi. Its kind of a one-sided fighting style with them," Kakashi answered.

Sasuke continued to ask questions and Kakashi continued to answer them in full. Sakura had to leave to go shave her lady-stache.

As the village quieted down for the night, Sasuke laid down for the night. Little did he know he was being watched by a hidden force.

To be continued…

**AN: Ugh, sorry this is a short chapter. I haven't had much enthusiasm OR motivation. Just remember…**

**Reviews = My Happiness = More Chapters = Your Happiness = Reviews = My Happiness…**


	7. Day Nine and Ten

_Day 9_

While team Ukiyo was preparing, Sasuke was worried that they wouldn't be able to defeat the new Orochimaru. He had Sasuke's body now! Powerful Jutsu combined with a mind that knows how to use it is a bad combination for an enemy. Sasuke tried to rest, but his mind was too active and he wasn't able to take a quick nap. He lay in his old bed, staring at the ceiling. He should've thought about his consequences.

* * *

><p>While Sasuke tried to rest a bit before the Team headed out, Kiba was gathering his items for the trip ahead. He grabbed extra soldier pills for Akamaru along with his regular assortment of ninja tools like paper bombs, kunai knives, shuriken, and smoke bombs. Ration bars were also necessary. Kiba grabbed a few extras, just in case he got hungry on the way.<p>

As soon as he was done packing his food, he met Ino and Hinata by the gate. They were the first ones there.

"Hey, Hinata. Hi there, Ino," Kiba said, nodding at the two.

"Um… H-Hi there, K-Kiba…" the timid ninja said.

"I never thought we would be partnered in this together, dog-breath," Ino remarked.

Kiba glared at her. "I still can't figure out how you hold kunai properly, with those man-hands of yours…" Kiba replied.

Ino turned redder than a tomato. Hinata just giggled nervously. Ino glared at her, making her mouth shut quickly.

Kiba, however, kept right on laughing. Hinata smiled.

Just then, Akkei showed up.

"Hi there," Kiba said politely.

"H-Hi Akkei…" Hinata added, nervous as ever.

Akkei nodded. Everyone looked at Ino. She had put on mittens.

"…Why do you have mittens on, it's the middle of June…" Akkei asked.

Ino just sniffed and turned away. Kiba mouthed "don't ask" before bursting into snickers.

Lee and Tenten showed up next, giving a questioning glance to Ino before shaking their heads and sighing.

Tenten whispered, "Kiba, did you make another remark about Ino's… um… large hand problem?"

"Of course not," Kiba responded. "I would never do such a thing!" His voice dripped of sarcasm.

Tenten sighed.

Kakashi and Sasuke showed up, finally.

"I made him hurry, since he's always late," Sasuke said.

"I don't understand why everything has to be on time…" Kakashi said, mostly to himself.

Everyone sweat dropped.

"EVERYTHING MUST BE WITH 100% EFFORT, KAKASHI-SENSEI! WITH NO DISCIPLINE THERE IS NO ORDER!" said the over-active shinobi in the green jumpsuit.

This time, Kakashi sweat dropped.

"Let's just go, it's no big deal anyways. He was on time and that's what matters. Come on," Sasuke said, ending the fun.

"He's right, we should get going," Akkei agreed.

They all began walking.

"Lee, if you start singing the song you sang last time, I will smack you," Tenten said flatly.

Lee's eyes went wide. "Come on, Tenten! Let me sing the song! Just one verse! Pleeeeeease?" Lee begged.

Tenten looked down, thinking about the Pros and Cons. "…Okay, but just one verse," she answered, putting extra emphasis on "one."

"Yes!" Lee exclaimed, pumping his fist. "Okay everyone, join arms!"

No one did that. Lee grabbed the arms of the two people next to him, which happened to be Kakashi and Akkei.

"Join in anytime if you know it! Ahem…" Lee said, clearing his throat.

"WEEEEE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ!"

* * *

><p>After 3 hours of the same song, you start to go a little insane.<p>

"…BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUUUUUUSE! BECAUSE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS HE DOES!"

"LEE!" the group yelled in unison.

Lee stopped and looked a little frightened. "…I lost track, was that more than one verse?"

"I kept track…" Tenten answered, whipping out a notepad. She opened it and flipped through pages and pages of tally marks.

"According to this, you sang through the entire song… one thousand nine hundred fifty seven times," Tenten replied with an annoyed face.

"Ha ha…whoops. My bad, everyone!" Lee said, scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe we should make camp, it's getting dark," Ino suggested.

"…Hey, maybe we should make camp guys!" Kiba said, completely ignoring Ino.

The aforementioned kunoichi glared in annoyance.

"That's a good idea, Kiba," Kakashi said honestly.

"Y-Yes, good thinking, Kiba-kun," Hinata added.

Team Ukiyo all sat down, making a circle. Ino sat outside the circle, still not talking to anyone. The unrolled their sleeping bags and a few had ration bars before bed.

"Fire Style: Fire ball Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled after making a few hand signs. A small fire ball formed, setting a conveniently placed pile of twigs on fire.

"I-I'll take first watch, guys…" Hinata suggested.

"Okay. I'll be second, Lee is third, Kakashi is forth, and Akkei is last," Kiba said. They all nodded in assent.

Everyone lay down except Hinata, who had activated her Byakugan.

* * *

><p><em>Day Ten<em>

After an uneventful night of rest, the team started packing first thing in the morning.

"We should hurry, Orochimaru will be switching bases soon," Kakashi said.

Everyone nodded.

"I also need to know everyone's strongest Jutsu, in case in comes to it," he added.

"Mine is the Mind Confusion Jutsu, sensei," Ino said.

"Wolf Fang over Fang for me," Kiba said.

"Mine is a Cloud Style Jutsu named Head in the Clouds Jutsu. It's a clever name, if you ask me," Akkei said oh-so-modestly.

"My strongest is Weapon Scroll: Unleash," Tenten said.

"Mine doesn't have a name, it's just a taijutsu combo combined with Gentle Fist..." the timid Hinata said.

"My strongest would be the Hidden Lotus [Reverse Lotus]," Lee concluded.

Kakashi nodded. "If anyone is wondering, my strongest would be the Lightning Blade, or Chidori," Kakashi said.

As the group discussed, a certain man took notes, completely unnoticed by the group. "Heh heh heh… So foolish, saying the strongest Jutsu you can perform as if it were nothing…"

The man stopped and chuckled to himself. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei, you really haven't learned a thing…"

To be continued…

**AN: Sorry it took forever to update. I thought I'd change the mood and make a more light-hearted chapter this time. I hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Day Ten Part One

**AN: Later in the story, Orochimaru will be in Sasuke's body. Orochimaru still has his own voice and actions and to avoid confusion, I'm just going to say "Orochimaru" instead of Sasuke, k? I hope that made sense.**

_Day Ten_

As Team Ukiyo neared Orochimaru's hideout, Kakashi explained the plan he came up with to the rest of the members. They were in a highly-wooded area.

"…Does that plan sound good to everyone?" Kakashi asked after explaining it.

"Hai!" They said in unison. **["Hai" means "Yes, sir" or "Yes, ma'am]**

"Okay. Move out!" Kakashi said. He whispered it, yet somehow it had a sense of authority.

The group was just south-east of the hideout, originally. Kiba and Lee ran west. Ino and Tenten ran north. Sasuke and Akkei headed straight for the hideout (northwest) while Kakashi and Hinata were going to go around Kiba and Lee and circle around from the back.

Kiba took out 3 paper bombs, his roll of ninja wire, and 13 kunai. He set them up with a smirk on his face. Lee was in the trees, keeping watch. Kiba made a signal and Lee jumped down.

"Kiba-kun, did Kakashi-sensei say where he got this trap plan?" Lee asked.

"Uh, yeah. He talked to Shikamaru before we left," Kiba answered.

"I thought so. Kakashi-sensei doesn't seem smart enough to come up with this…" Lee analyzed.

"Apparently, Shikamaru has a book full of traps and plans. He's super smart," Kiba said.

"Oh goodness… Anyways, we should meet up with Ino and Tenten. They should be done," Lee said. They jumped into the trees and headed towards the kunoichi.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meanwhile… -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Summoning Jutsu!" Tenten yelled, after signing her scroll. A large kunai bomb appeared, along with 6 mines, ninja wire, and 4 chakra seals. Ino jumped out of the trees and helped Tenten set up the trap. This trap, however, was different than Kiba's and Lee's trap. Speaking of the two males…

"Tenten! Is the trap ready?" Kiba asked. He was still out of sight from Ino and Tenten.

"Wait! Kiba, what was the password we made?" Ino asked.

"We didn't make one," the dog lover answered.

"…Good. Come into view," Tenten said.

"Great, now let's go meet up with Sasuke and Akkei," Lee said.

They all nodded and ran on the ground. They had to avoid the traps, considering an activation of one of them would result in death.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meanwhile… -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As Sasuke and Akkei were arriving at the entrance to Orochimaru's hideout, Tenten, Ino, Kiba, and Lee joined up with them. They ran inside with as much stealth as they could muster. They had been running for nearly a full minute when they saw a flash of light ahead.

"That's Kakashi's signal for us to find Orochimaru," Tenten confirmed. They continued running until they were in a wide open area with a stone snake head jutting out of the far wall. The room was about 4,000 square feet.

"This is where Kakashi said Orochimaru would be…" Akkei said.

Just them Team Ukiyo (minus Kakashi) heard a deep, blood-curdling chuckle behind them. They all jumped away, coincidentally in different directions.

"Another assassination plot devised by the Third? Heh heh heh heh…" Orochimaru cackled.

"Actually, you are quite mistaken," Lee said.

"…Hm?"

This statement caught the snake user off guard. He expected a huge group of advanced shinobi to try and kill him.

"Did the Hokage actually stoop low enough as to put a group of mediocre-level ninja together to kill me?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Aw, HELL naw. He just insulted me, that bastard," Kiba yelled out of impulse and anger.

"Kiba, calm down," Ino said. On a mission, you can't let your comrades die, even if you dislike them.

"Gr…" growled Kiba.

"Let's see how you like this!" Tenten yelled, catching Orochimaru off guard. A barrage of weapons, including kunai, shuriken, sickles, and swords were thrown at Orochimaru. Nothing could be seen past the cloud of smoke the weapons had formed.

"My lord!"

When the smoke cleared, an ANBU with red eyes and grey skin had taken every single hit from the weapons. It was a zombie, summoned by none other than Kabuto himself. Said man appeared next to his master, Orochimaru, and adjusted his glasses.

"These pests must be taken care of…" Kabuto said flatly.

"Too slow…" Tenten said, as she popped up behind Kabuto and slit his throat. Normally, this would have killed him, but instead, a clone just dispersed.

'All according to plan…' Tenten thought. 'We just need to wear him out and make him use his chakra.'

Sasuke could do nothing, since Orochimaru and Kabuto couldn't see him.

"Tunneling Fang!" Kiba yelled as he spun rapidly towards the medical ninja. As they expected, Kabuto jumped out of the way.

As soon as Kabuto jumped, he noticed another spinning object headed towards him. That object was Akamaru, Kiba's dog. Akamaru hit Kabuto head-on.

"Gah!" Kabuto screeched in pain as his midsection was pummeled. The ninja dog and Kabuto fell to the ground. For added affect, Akamaru bit Kabuto's nose, hard, drawing blood. The dog ran away, back to Kiba who was standing with the rest of the group, about 50 feet away from Kabuto.

Orochimaru had been standing next to Kabuto the entire time, doing nothing but laughing maniacally as his assistant was beaten nearly to death.

Kiba was panting, but other than that, no one else in the group seemed hurt or spent at all. Kabuto, however, was bleeding, trying to heal himself, and coughing up blood. He made a hand sign, and then looked as though he felt no pain at all. Orochimaru laughed.

Heh heh heh… ignorant children, with your petty weapons and weak Jutsu. Haven't you learned that I can't be defeated?" Orochimaru asked.

"Actually, you're the one that needs to learn," Akkei said, speaking for the first time.

Just then, a paper bomb exploded from behind Orochimaru and Kabuto, catching them by surprise.

"What…?" They both yelled, turning their heads towards the explosion.

"Water style: Samehada Spit!" yelled Akkei. A large mass of water was then sprayed from his mouth towards the two sound ninja. They were both caught off guard and were caught in the massive amount of slipperiness. Whenever they tried to stand, they would just slip and fall over again. Soon their entire bodies were covered in the sticky goo.

"Oh, and don't bother trying to use chakra to stand on this stuff," Akkei said. It sounded casual. "This is Samehada, the great sword's spit. It feeds on chakra, as does the sword itself. **[For those who don't know and/or don't remember, Samehada (Sharkskin) is Kisame's great sword. It's wrapped in bandages most of the time.]**

"So basically," Akkei continued. "The more chakra you give it, the more it multiplies."

For once, Kabuto and Orochimaru looked frightened for once in their lives.

"Give up and give us your part of the Resurrection Seal, you body stealing demon," Lee yelled, enthusiastic as ever.

Orochimaru just sat down cross-legged and began to laugh insanely.

"YOU FOOLS! You still haven't noticed! You should have brought more useful shinobi!" Orochimaru cackled.

Everyone's faces paled.

"W-… What do you mean, 'we haven't noticed?'" Tenten asked.

"That I'm not the real thing…"

With that last statement, Orochimaru and his subordinate's skin melted off.

"Ew…" Ino said, grimacing.

After the skin had stopped sizzling, Akkei walked over to check it out. He released his Jutsu and the sticky substance disappeared. He gasped.

"Guys… these people aren't Orochimaru and Kabuto," Akkei summarized.

"A henge…!" Tenten said, scratching her chin.

"So all that for nothing?" Kiba asked, defeated.

"I am afraid so…" Lee said.

"Let's find Kakashi-sensei," Ino suggested.

Everyone stood and nodded.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meanwhile… -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Do you see them?" Kakashi asked.

"Y-Yes, I still have them," Hinata answered with her Byakugan.

"Good…" Kakashi said.

'It's only a matter of time now…' Kakashi thought to himself.

To be continued…

**It was so evil to end it here, but it was late and even thought I wasn't tired I knew I had to sleep. Still, this chapter was kind of long. Oh, well. Review and whatnot, check out Sora97, he's making a new story about Naruto and Tsunade.**

**Speaking of Naruto, I think he'll make an appearance in the next chapter. Stay tuned! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: This story is currently up for adoption. I didn't have a ton of motivation, so if you want to continue it, by all means do so. Just PM me and I'll give you the credit starting with the next chapter you write and/or any chapters you change.**

**Sorry if this disappoints anyone,**

**~FS**


	10. Chapter 10

This FanFiction Plot idea was started by me, but was adopted by Echo Uchiha, who so kindly wanted to adopt it. Chapters 1-10 on "Ghost of Sasuke" were written, in whole, by me, FadingScars. Any other chapters past chapter 10 were written, in whole, by Echo Uchiha. He/She now owns full rights to the FanFiction story. Neither of us own the Naruto Manga, the Naruto Anime, nor any characters associated with Naruto.

You can find a quick link to Echo Uchiha's profile in the reviews, since they have kindly reviewed multiple times.


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